SOD would like to cordially welcome you to the fifth installment of BOM.

We define a BITCH OF THE MONTH as anyone irritating enough to warrant a rant of Homeric proportions; male, female, or whatever. This month’s BOM is a timely feature.

Once in a lifetime does an event so astounding and so wondrous occur that you will recount it to generations to come…unless, of course, you were planning on attending the Gisborne 2000 Celebration.

"Stillborne 2000", as many a disgruntled fan has called it, is the brain-child of the Odyssey’s End/Year 2000 Festival Companies, a group who promised to give birth to a truly unique experience, but failed to deliver anything but disaster. Beginning late in 1998, Odyssey’s End began pushing pamphlets to the public, promising a "once-in-a-thousand-years event". For the mere sacrifice of your hard-earned dinero, as well as a significant portion, if not all, of your available vacation time, you too could be one of the "first to the future" and to witness the dawning of a new Millennium. Not to mention, you would get to see some bloke named Bowie, which we suspect might have helped the ticket sales a bit.

Thousands made their plans. Thousands made their reservations. Thousands dropped thousands. And in the midst of it all, visions of "international performances which [would] lead up to the climactic and unforgettable, themed, pyrotechnic spectacular" danced in their heads. Only, it wasn't pyrotechnics we would actually see, but stars from the swirl of ineptitude and chaos that the Odyssey’s End/Year 2000 Festival Companies clobbered us with.

Shortly after conception, Stillborne 2000 began tugging at its lifeline, the fans, by continually pushing a grand promotional campaign and attempting to keep the lie alive with promises it could not keep. But it was not until recently, months after thousands have made non-refundable deposits and spent a significant amount of time working towards this premature celebration, that Bill Griffith and company sheepishly felt the need to inform the consumers of its death. Griffith noted that he is "gutted" by the liquidation his "demon seed" has to face. Although, as the company failed to place the ticket money in a trust and no reasonable or responsible accommodations have been taken, we believe the fans certainly have been "gutted" for much more.

So it is without any hesitation that SOD would like to bestow upon Bill Griffith/Odyssey’s End/Year 2000 the coveted "fuck you" award, as well as a significant place in our hearts as a member of our Bitch of the Month club.

If you would like to nominate a BOM, please e-mail SOD at sod@sisteurs.zzn.com. If we hate them enough, we'll rip them a new orifice for you.